Who's hungry?

So, the night before New Year's Eve, Mike and I dropped 3 of the kids off with my mom (AGAIN...I know...) and took a little trip to Nebraska Furniture Mart.  Our tv stand has been wobbling for about, oh, 2 years or so, and that, coupled with the fact that our Mike's new tv comes tomorrow (one that wouldn't fit into our old tv stand), got us thinking that we should probably find a new one.  Was that like the longest run-on sentence you've ever seen, or what?  sheesh.  So anyway, we were out shopping and started getting hungry.  It happens.  We spotted a Lone Star right down the street and saw their 2 for $20 deal, so we headed in.  We were happy to only have 2 kids with us (Isaac and Jett).  It gets a little crazy when we try to wrangle all 5 in a restaurant. 
We got seated about 15 minutes after arriving, and ordered our drinks and appetizers.  I looked over at Jett, who was just hangin' out in the highchair, eating the heck out of some fruit puffs.  Isaac was happily coloring on his menu, after having just informed me that he wanted a cheeseburger with no cheese for dinner.  Mike and I were relaxed and everything was right with the world. 

Then.

THEN.

I noticed Jett's face getting a little red, and slowly, his facial expression started to change into that one face mother's don't like to see.  especially out in public.  especially at a restaurant.  He was making me a little present in his diaper, right there in front of everyone.  I informed Mike of what his kid was up to, and told him I would wait to change him till he was done.  Well.  About 2 minutes after that, I started smelling the stench.  You know the one. 
So I got out of my seat, and grabbed my sweet, little, innocent, precious son.  I lifted the precious angel up, and smelled him, you know, just to make sure.  Like I had any doubts.  
What followed will be forever sketched into my memory.  Right about the time his lower back got close to my face, it registered in my mind that my hands were covered in a liquidy, stinky, mess.  That's right.  His poop made it's way out of his jeans, up his entire back, and all over the front of my sweater.  All.over.  Thankfully, my nose didn't touch his back side, or we would've had a poopy mess and a throw-upy mess to deal with. 
I couldn't believe I was standing there, holding this poop-covered child, trying to hide the poopy mess that was me, as well.  I quickly made my way to the restroom, after finally convincing myself that I wasn't, in fact, in some horrible dream.  Mike told the server to box up our meals (he had just sat down the appetizer), and I cleaned up myself and Jett the best I could with baby wipes.  You know, I've heard people joke about bringing a change of clothes in the diaper bag for yourself, but it had never dawned on me until just then that I should have actually taken that advice.  Luckily, I was wearing a shirt under my sweater, so I was able to not ride home in a poop covered garment.  The only change of clothes I had for Jett was a one piece summer outfit that was 2 sizes too small.  But he was gonna have to deal with it.  This was his fault, after all.  j/k :)

After I had taken approximately 20 minutes cleaning us both up, I headed back to the table.  Our food was sitting on the table in styrofoam boxes, which was fine by me...for some reason, I had completely lost my appetite.   We paid the check and made our way out of there as fast as we could. 

The end.

p.s. Steak from a styrofoam box just isn't the same.  Just to let you know.

New Year's Eve

I'll be ringing in the new year with my man and my babies.  Playing video games, watching movies, having wrestling matches, playing pretend horses, and just savoring this time when they're little and they still want to spend New Year's eve with their parents. 

God is good.

Happy New Year to you all!

Destructive

I had a brilliant idea that we would get new toy bins for the boys' room, since they have so many annoying fun little pieces to all their different toys. 

We put the thing together last night.
at 9:30pm.
they looked at it for 5 minutes before they went to bed.

Then they woke up this morning.
the very first thing they did was play in their room.
for no longer than 10 minutes.
and then I came in
and saw
this.

They actually held out longer than I thought they would.

Christmas weekend wrap-up

We had a wonderful Christmas!!! 

Friday night, my whole family came to our house for our annual Christmas Eve game/snack night.  We ate so much junk, played spoons, Mafia, and had a white elephant gift exchange.  It's always so much fun to have the whole family together!
The only thing that was missing was being with our other family.  We always miss Mike's parents and sisters when we can't be with them for the holidays!  They are so much fun, and they're better game players. :) 
Christmas morning, we got the kids up a little before 7, and let them open their presents.  They got to play with them for a little while, and then we were off to my mom's for our Christmas breakfast.  Our family, along with my 2 sisters and their families all open gifts from my mom, and she cooks us a huge biscuit/gravy, eggs, bacon, sausage casserole, quiche breakfast.  It's yum!  We then went to my sister's house later that day for Christmas dinner.

I'm worn to a frazzle, the kids are dragging, and we're overwhelmed with how much STUFF they have.  Mike's parents and my mom always give so much to us for Christmas, and while we know that getting things isn't what Christmas is about, I know it brings them joy to be able to give us such a nice Christmas.  We're so blessed to have such wonderful, Godly parents. 

The real reason we have Christmas is all because of Jesus Christ.   It's all about Him!   One of my most favorite Christmas songs is "I Celebrate the Day" by Relient K.   If you've never heard the song, here are the lyrics.  I LOVE IT!

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be


And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever


And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here


To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might [really] live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me


And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life.


I would post the pictures, but there were over 300 of them I had to go through, edit and add to facebook.  The album is here, if you'd like to see the Christmas pics.

In case you don't know

One messy house, four hyper kids, one working husband, one tired mom, and one sick Chloe with a puke bucket does not a fun Saturday make. 

Thankfully, my wonderful mom (have I ever mentioned how amazing she is?) is watching the kids tonight at our house so Mike and I can finish Christmas shopping.  I told her not to come, since there's a sick one here. She doesn't care.  She's awesome like that.  Chloe's starting to sing a Care Bears song as I'm typing.  That's always a good sign.  Maybe she's starting to feel better?  :)

There is a light at the end of this messy, stinky, crazy tunnel!

Christmas Fun

Alternately titled, "Pictures. Loads and loads of pictures."

Trimming the Tree:

{Chloe's first Christmas ornament from way back in 2003!!}

{Laney and her first Christmas ornament -- 2001.  geez.  They're getting too big!}

Annual trip to Crown Center's Crayola land:

{this picture makes me laugh}

{Little story behind this picture:  At the end of the play area, you can meet Santa and have your picture taken with him.  We usually take the picture at the end, but it's not the reason we go...the kids just like to play. Our kids don't believe in Santa, so it's not a big deal if they see him or not.  Not that I think there's anything wrong with doing the whole Santa thing...we just feel it's the best choice for us.  Anyway, we asked the girls if they wanted their picture with Santa, and Laney said she definitely did not.  Chloe was in her own little world (go figure), and she didn't care.  Then I asked the boys.  Isaac was kinda iffy about it, but Elijah definitely, absolutely, for sure did NOT want to!  He said "Mommy, I do not want to sit on his lap.  I have enough presents under the tree.  I don't need anymore."  I didn't even know he knew what Santa was all about, but apparently he does.  :)  So anyway, they, meaning Laney, Chloe and Isaac, looked at the mechanical Santa and we were on our way.  the end.}

{Dinner at Fritz's}

{My mom with the kids}

{Mayor's Christmas tree}

{Cute gingerbread village...most of it is actually edible.}

Making Christmas cookies:

Merry Christmas!!!

I'm serious this time!

Remember a while back, well, a long while back, when I was pregnant with Jett and I wrote this post?  I didn't exactly keep up with it after Jett came along.  I've tried coming up with a good reason as to why I haven't done anything to lose weight, but I can't.  The only thing that has slowed the weight loss process down is my Jett's dwindling milk supply when I eat less...well, that and my lack of motivation.  I thought about just starting the whole thing after Christmas...a New Year's resolution or whatever, but I can't wait.  I need this weight off.  Like now!  Yesterday, even! 

I started doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred.  It totally kicked my butt the first day.  Like, I felt like I was gonna throw up and pass out...within the first 10 minutes. oy.  It hurt.  But I'm on day 4 now, and although it still burns and I feel like dying half-way through it, I feel so much better afterwards!  Can I just ask why no one has thought about big-chested women when they make work out dvd's?  Have you ever tried doing a jumping jack with 2 bowling balls hanging off you?  My bra cuts into my shoulders so bad, I'm surprised they didn't bleed!  I now have to hold my girls while doing the jumping jacks.  sorry if that's tmi, but there it is. 

As for my eating plan, I don't really plan on changing too much, other than just eating more fruits and veggies.  I honestly don't eat all day long (as the shape of my body would suggest otherwise).  I usually have a big iced coffee (with splenda and a little skim milk) in the morning with maybe a granola bar, if anything (I'm not a big breakfast eater) and for lunch, it's usually chicken noodle soup or a sandwich with pretzels.  For dinner, I eat okay (not great, not horrible), but I never get seconds.  The big thing for me is nighttime snacking.  After the kids go to bed, I just want to sit down and watch a movie with Mike, and it makes me wanna snack, so I'll have a bowl of ice cream, or chips.  Never carrot sticks or celery, for some reason.  ;)  I figure if I cut out the evening snacks, and drink only water and eat nothing after 6pm, it will help drastically!  Oh, we cut out pop about 3 months ago, so that's been hard, but at least I don't have the cravings for it anymore.  We'll have it every once in a while if we go out to eat or something, but we never buy it for our house anymore.  I usually drink tea with splenda.  I must start drinking more water, too. 

So that's it.  Please, please pray for me as I continue this.  I have a long way to go, and I'm just starting.  Gotta start somewhere, right?  :)